As an employer, you are responsible for helping your helper renew maid work permit in Singapore when it expires every two years.
Majority of the domestic helpers in Singapore are from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, Philippines and Myanmar. In order for them to work in Singapore, they will need a valid maid work permit.
Normally, this administrative process is handled by the maid agency in Singapore where you have hired your domestic helper from.
However, there have been several online sources claiming that by avoiding the cost of agency fees you can save costs for yourself by handling the maid work permit renewal process yourself.
To get a better idea of what you’re signing yourself up for, read on to understand a breakdown of how tedious this process can really be without the assistance of an experienced and reliable maid agency.
How to renew your domestic helper’s Work Permit by yourself?
Before you renew your helper’s maid work permit, you will need to have these documents ready beforehand:
- Your helper’s latest passport
- The new insurance policy that meets MOM’s minimum requirements (Personal accident insurance of at least S$60,000)
- Medical expense insurance of at least S$15,000 per year
- MOM Security bond from the Insurance Company of S$5,000
- A valid credit card to make the online payment fee of S$35 for the actual renewal
Followed by the following steps.
1. Purchase new domestic helper insurance
It all begins with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) sending you a maid work permit renewal letter around eight weeks before the expiry of your domestic helper’s work permit.
After receiving the letter, you may renew the maid work permit online as long as you have already purchased new maid insurance in Singapore for the new period of employment.
There are many types of insurance plans with varying levels of insurance coverage. Ensure that the date of the new maid insurance matches the start date of the new work permit.
It is important to take note of inputting the right names, dates and numbers so as to ensure a smooth issuance and transmission of the necessary security bond information to the MOM.
Make sure you have a copy of the Security Bond Transmission Number of “SB Transmission No” to guarantee your Security Bond before renewing the maid work permit.
2. Renew your helper’s maid work permit well ahead of its expiry
This helps to ensure a smooth re-entry to Singapore if your helper plans to return to her country on home leave before her work permit expires.
If you renew the maid work permit late, you’re still liable for levy after it expires. Levy penalties or overstaying fine, if applicable, may also be imposed.
3. Draft a new employment contract
It is good practice to go through the contract again to update any details that have been agreed between both yourself and the domestic helper.
The contract helps to set clear rights and obligations to ensure clear communication and prevent any misunderstandings from occurring.
4. Ensure that all necessary documents are valid
Check if your helper’s passport is expiring, if it expires within the next six months, they will have to go down to the embassy to renew her passport. It is recommended to renew her passport with the embassy as early as you can.
5. Purchase an Embassy Bond for your helper
You will need to purchase an Embassy Bond if your helper is Filipino before the Embassy will process the paperwork necessary to renew the contract.
There are various options for you to choose from so you will have to check thoroughly and see if its offers match what you need.
6. Prepare other documents for Indonesian domestic helpers
The Indonesian Embassy will organise an interview before the process of home leave documents. They will question you about your helper’s revised salary, days off etc.
After the interview, you and your helper will be asked to sign the Work Agreement. You will also need to apply for your helper’s Kartu Pekerja Indonesia Singapura (KPIS) if your helper does not already own one.
While it may seem simple to follow these steps, for someone who is unfamiliar with this industry, it could be a challenge to evaluate the difference between the various insurance plans and embassy bonds.
Moreover, your helper is entitled to home leaves. Therefore, to ensure a smooth re-entry to Singapore, it is especially important to properly handle all the legal administrative matters for them to continue working in Singapore safely.
Engage a dependable and experienced maid services agency in Singapore
As you can already tell, the process of renewing your domestic helper’s maid work permit can be very tedious, confusing and time-consuming if you do it yourself.
Save yourself the trouble of second-guessing yourself and potential double work if the documents fail to meet stringent standards on the first try.
Leave it to a dependable and experienced maid agency to help you clear all routine paperwork, which includes
- applying and renewing maid work permits
- renewing maid passports
- obtaining embassy endorsement of documents
- handling home leaves processing
Save time and money in the long-run and contact Homekeeper for all your maid employment needs.
About the Author
Linda Seh has over 20 years of experience in the Employment industry. She takes the time to thoroughly interview each family and helper to understand their requirements, personalities, and preferences. Her intuition and insight has helped her make placements that result in lasting, harmonious working relationships. Linda now leverages this expertise and experience to simplify your search and ensure you find the ideal and qualified helper to become a valued member of your family.
